Book Nook: A Century of Progress - A Photographic Tour of the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair

I recently had a chance to review A Century of Progress: A Photographic Tour of the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair. When I first saw this book, I thought it was right up my husband's alley - and it definitely combines several of his interests. He loves taking photography, he is intrigued by historical photos and seeing what life was like at different eras, and he is also enjoys things like planes and trains and other technological advances.

This book contains over one hundred rare and sometimes never-before-published photos from the world's fair. Its motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms" and celebrated many of the new developments of the time. At the same time, it contained things that are in poor taste now - the peek-a-boo dance at the Streets of Paris exhibit and "Midget City," for example.

The introduction and foreword give some background on the fair and the collection and selection of these images. It's quite a variety of images that are included in the book, and it really gives readers a taste for what the fair was like.

This book would make a great gift for anyone interested in history, photography, or technology - and even better for someone interested in all three.